BMW - Tighter security with improved user convenience

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In a company like BMW, the requirements of IT security management are especially rigorous. BMW's main focus when it turned to CGI for security management services was on protecting sensitive personal and product-related data stored on mobile devices such as laptops or communicated via email.

The challenge

BMW's critical IT mandate was not just about optimizing security concepts. Security management must be continuously improved and adapted to changes in the IT environment. A global conversion to Windows 7, for example, necessitates adding new IT security software modules, such as MS BitLocker for hard drive encryption.

At the same time, efficiency and user convenience in security management must be continuously optimized. A competent partner should be able to strengthen the capabilities of a company like BMW in all of these respects.

The solution

CGI offers targeted security management services for the entire life cycle of a deployed piece of software while providing scalable resources and access to our security expertise and management tools. We assumed responsibility for the daily operation and further development of BMW products so that BMW's IT group could simply and quickly implement its security concepts.

CGI experts provide all-in-one support and maintenance for BMW's security solutions. This begins with ensuring software launch readiness and ends with the secure transfer to support. Software is automatically distributed. Before launch, new products are checked for their security performance and functionality, consolidated into packets, and rigorously tested for their installation performance.

Users can work quickly and independently at BMW. For example, they can create new PINs or passwords without consulting support teams. This supports the active distribution of security programs and increases support efficiency. Using newly developed tools, we ensure that instructions are also upheld in centrally administrated products.

In addition, we take responsibility for requests that are not resolved in the first two levels of support. To this end, we work closely with BMW's support units, give regular feedback, and offer new ideas for the organization of the company's support structure. The focus is always on high-level user convenience and the best possible efficiency of the first two support levels.

This is demonstrated, above all, in our communication with users across various media. We ensure that, on the one hand, all technical data is correct and, on the other, that end users can quickly and simply work with the information.

The results

We support user mobility while maintaining stringent security guidelines. Hard drive encryption with BitLocker provides protection in the event of the loss or theft of a computer. PGP secures communication so that even sensitive data can be simply sent via email. Above all, thanks to a high level of convenience, compliance and use of security standards is a matter of course to most users.

The CGI team strengthens BMW's IT and ensures that more and more users are provided with the same high standards and resources. At the same time, support costs are reduced through user self-service because there are clear expectations for the development of incidents in terms of the life cycle. This means the more established a product is the less support it requires. And, these goals are being reached.

Why CGI?

We share BMW's view of user convenience, which we are sustainably harmonizing with economic requirements. CGI is one of BMW's long-serving IT partners, particularly in the security sector. Over the past few years, our experts have extended email encryption and have also developed one of the leading identity and access management systems in Germany.

In security management, our expertise is combined with our highly developed IT management qualifications. Thanks to our comprehensive service portfolio, we also have detailed expertise with products such as BitLocker, PGP Universal Server, Cynapspro DevicePro Management, and Finally Secure, as well as background knowledge of our clients' existing IT environments. This is an important advantage in the configuration and updating of interfaces. But probably even more important is our close integration with the BMW team because we have only one goal—to make our clients' IT projects better.

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